Confessions of a Flame Haze
by TabiNoTochuu
Summary: Yuji is back to normal after Shana defeats the Snake of the Festival. However, an unknown Denizen changes everything in the blink of an eye. Will Shana be able to protect the one she loves? Bittersweet love story of the lives of Yuji and Shana.
1. Prologue

Confessions of a Flame Haze - Prologue

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><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>Hooray for something new! I've been toying with the idea of writing a Shakugan no Shana fic for a while now, but since the series isn't finished yet, I've held off on it for a while. However, I had a great idea for a story, and before I knew it, I had the full story outline laid out on my desk. _Confessions of a Flame Haze_ will be my first Shakugan no Shana fic and also my first one that deals with a darker, less happy storyline. I will not reveal anymore, but let's just say the ending is very bittersweet.

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Shakugan no Shana or any other anime series I write on. It would be awesome if I did though.

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><p>It had been a few months since Shana had overpowered Yuji and, with the help of Margery, sealed the Snake of the Festival back into the Reiji Maigo. With the guiding force behind their motives taken out of play, the members of Bel Masque were thrown into disarray and the Denizen army scattered into the wind. The combatants of the winning side enjoyed a brief respite before returning to their normal lives. Without the commanding force of the Snake of the Festival, the Denizens would restart their consumption of the power of existence. The Flame Hazes separated, headed back to their respective cities and homes.<p>

Now in full command of his body, Yuji began his training once more, wanting to be able to defend the city should a Denizen attack it. His skill with both sword and magic improved tremendously and he managed to defeat a Crimson Denizen without the help of Shana. As they continued to train together, the bond that had formed between them solidified even further. Kazumi had finally decided that Shana and Yuji were better off together, and had started a promising relationship with Ike. Everything was going along nicely, despite the occasional Denizen attacks.

But, not everything is as it seems. Somewhere, the forces of Bel Masque have devised a cunning plan in an attempt to free their lord and commanding officer from the seals of the Reiji Maigo. Yuji and Shana are unaware of the dangers looming their way, and an unforeseen tragedy is seen in the near future.

Will Shana and Yuji manage to overcome the new difficulties set forth by a strange new Denizen?

Read more in my new three-shot story, Confessions of a Flame Haze!

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><p><strong>End notes:<strong> Yes, this will be a bittersweet fic with alternating elements of happiness and despair, but ending on a rather happy note. For now, the only thing I should warn you about is that one character will "die". I put die in parenthesis because, though yes, the character does SEEMINGLY die, perhaps outside forces will allow for a happy ending?

Chapter Title Previews:

Chapter 0- Prologue **Published**

Chapter 1- Confessions of a Flame Haze **Published**

Chapter 2- Denizen of Despair **Published**

Chapter 3- End of Time **Published**

Chapter 4- Epilogue **Published**

**All chapters of _Confessions of a Flame Haze _have been successfully published!**

**Please stay tuned for the spin-offs/sequel I'm currently writing:**

**_Confessions of a Flame Haze: Extra - Letter from a Mystes_ (In progress) Estimated DOA: 3/?/2012**

Summary: Yuji has died and left Shana with only a ring and a letter. What could possibly be in the letter? What is his final message to her?

**_Confessions of a Flame Haze: Extra - Conclusion: Hoshi ni Negau _(In progress) Estimated DOA: 3/?/2012  
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Summary: (Translation: Conclusion: A Wish Upon a Star) My final conclusion to this story, will be told with underlying themes of heartbreak, but overall, it will definitely be a fluff, since that's what I do best :)

**_Confessions of a Flame Haze: Extra - Seven years of Yuji _(Basic Idea, might turn into a one-shot)**

Summary: This is just a basic idea right now, and I don't know whether or not I will even be writing this. However, I will NOT publish this one or even start on it until _Conclusion: Reunion _is finished, since it tells of a story from there. I can't spoil the story, so I can't reveal anything else.

**_Confessions of a Flame Haze: Extra - Seven years of Shana _(Basic Idea, will most likely be thrown out)  
><strong>

**_Confessions of a Flame Haze: Extra - Alastor _(Basic Idea, most likely will be thrown out)**

Summary: Some people might be wondering. Where in the world did Alastor go during all of this? This will show the events of _Confessions of a Flame Haze_ through the eyes of a Crimson Lord. Really doubt I'll do this though.

**Please feel free to PM me if you have a suggestion on something you'd like me to write. I welcome all suggestions and feedback, since it really helps with my thinking process! Thanks!  
><strong>

Well, I hope that you will enjoy my first attempt at something that ISN'T completely fluff, so please R&R once I get my first chapter up! :)

Until Next Time!

~TabiNoTochuu


	2. Confessions of a Flame Haze

**Author's note: **Well... I did say it would be out today! 11:50 isn't exactly what I had in mind though... But, anyways! This is the first chapter of my newest fic and my first Shakugan no Shana fic! This is going to be a part of a three-shot story set that will involve a more depressing air than any of my other stories. However, the ending itself will be happy or sad, depending on how you interpret it. This chapter is pretty much just fluff between Yuji and Shana as Yuji decides to find out what Shana really feels about him.

Enough from me, please enjoy my newest release in _Confessions of a Flame Haze!_

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

"Fuzetsu!"

The surrounding area turned a deep shade of red as the magic took hold. All movement inside the dome ceased as the section of the city, normally bustling with activity, became deathly silent. In the midst of this frozen city, two figures ran towards a large skyscraper in the distance. "Damn! A Crimson Denizen here, now?"

"Focus, Yuji! This Denizen's presence seems different than others we've fought. It's definitely stronger than a Rinne, but I don't think it's a Guze no Tomogara. Besides, if you don't pay attention in the fight, I'll kill you afterwards!"

"Uwah... scary!" Yuji paused and looked towards Shana. "But, then again... since you're here with me, there shouldn't be anything to be worried about, right?"

Shana turned a bright shade of red and shook her head repeatedly. "Urusai! Urusai! Urusai! Geez, you're so annoying!"

The pair arrived at the area where she had first felt the Denizen's presence. Shana summoned Yogasa, the black trench coat that was said to be part of the great Crimson God Alastor himself. From its depths, she pulled out her sword, the Nietono no Shana, her namesake, and began scanning the area. Her hair turned the color of blazing coals, and embers floated down past her now crimson eyes. Shana's eyes widened in surprise as she continued to survey the area. "Where is it? I'm sure I felt his presence here not one minute ago!"

There was a soft skidding sound as Yuji pulled up next to her. He rested his hands on his knees as he panted, gasping for air. "Why... *gasp* do you... *gasp* have to run... *gasp* so fast?"

"Baka Yuji! If I don't run fast, then how am I supposed to keep up with the various Crimson Denizens I have to hunt?"

He finally managed to catch his breath, then looked around with confusion plainly visible in his eyes. His guard up, Yuji summoned his sword, Blutsauger from the bookmark that he had received from Margery to replace the one destroyed by Sabrac. "Speaking of that... Where is the Denizen you sensed? I don't feel anything around here."

Shana glared at him before summoning her firey wings. With a faint gust of wind, they unfurled on her back. She took a second to prepare herself before launching her body into the air. As she slowly turned in a full circle to survey the area, she had to admit whatever they had been chasing was gone. "Ugh... Looks like it really did manage to get past me..."

Shana allowed herself to slowly float down to the ground before despelling the wings from her body. She returned Nietono no Shana to her Treasure Tool, then knelt down and frowned in concentration. As she closed her eyes to focus on picking out abnormal presences in the area, she felt the reassuring presence of Yuji somewhere off to her right. Her heart skipped a beat from his close proximity and a sense of calmness and confidence flowed through her. Shana cast her mind out far and wide, searching every possible place for the existance that matched the Denizen that she had been hunting, but to no avail. She sighed and raised her arm, pointing at the sky. The Fuzetsu slowly disappeared into nothingness as she slumped against the wall. "Another false trail... that's the fourth one this month..."

Shana allowed her hair and eyes to return to their respective "normal" shades before sighing in annoyance. Yuji walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, at least we tried. Since this Denizen doesn't seem to be disrupting the flow of life in the city, maybe we should just leave it alone."

She felt her face blaze from his touch. "Urusai! It's because you were too slow!"

Yuji jerked his hand away, a bit hurt from her reaction, though he had gotten used to her usual cold attitude towards him. "Well, for a job well done, why don't we go get some melon bread for you from the bakery?"

Shana's head instantly snapped up, her eyes filled with happines. "Melon bread? You aren't lying to me, right?"

He laughed and grabbed her hand. "No, I'm not. Let's go, before the bakery closes."

As he ran, Yuji suddenly realized what he had done and almost let go of Shana's hand. However, as he sneaked a look back at her, she was running behind him silently, a blush on her face, but a smile on her lips.

They arrived at the bakery where Yuji picked out some snacks for them. He pulled out a few melon breads for Shana and got a few assorted breads for himself. He paid for the goodies and brought them over to the nearby park and sat down on a bench. He reached into the bag and pulled out the melon bread, which he handed to an impatient Shana who began devouring it delightfully. Yuji took a bite out of his curry bread and sighed. "Ugh... Why have there been so many of these wild-goose chases?..."

Shana swallowed her mouthful of melon bread and glared at him. "Baka. Be grateful that you're getting some exercise and training."

Yuji stared at the piece of bread in his hand, seemingly deep in thought. She looked at him, a bit worried about his attitude. "Yuji? What are you thinking about?"

He turned his body to face her, his expression serious. "I was thinking about you and me."

"E-eh?" Shana felt like her face had instantly heated up several degrees. "What are you talking about?"

"Shana. What am I to you? Am I just a Mystes, a mere Torch in your eyes? Or do you see me for who I really am."

She felt her face grow dangerously hot as her heart thumped and fluttered wildly in her chest. "B-baka! What are you saying?"

He moved over a few inches to sit next to her. "I guess what I really want to know is how you really feel about me." He raised his head to look at the sky. "You know, now that I think about it, I never did choose, did I?"

"W-what do you mean? What didn't you get to choose?"

Yuji looked at her with surprise on his face. "Don't tell me you've forgotten already about what happened on Christmas Eve."

Shana's embarassment deepened as the mention of that fateful day. On that evening, she had agreed with Kazumi to allow Yuji to pick the person he liked the most. They both sent him a letter, asking him to come meet them at specific points in the square at the center of the shopping district. Shana waited for him on the north side of the square, while Kazumi had waited at the south side. His choice would finally end the rivalry between the two of them as he picked the person who he truly wanted to be with.

However, their attempts were interrupted twice by outside intervention. The first time involved Hecate stealing the Reiji Maigo from Yuji to attempt the creation of a Crimson Denizen on Earth itself. The second time they tried, the spirit of the Snake of the Festival manifested within Yuji, leading him to disappear and reappear as the head of Bel Masque.

"I never had a chance to choose one of you, the one person that I would want to be with the most."

Shana stiffened as he suddenly put a hand around her shoulders and pulled her towards his body. His warm embrace surprised her and she sat there, motionless as he tightened his grip on her body. "If I were to go back and be able to choose without interference, there is no doubt as to who I would pick," he whispered. "I would have chosen you, Shana."

At these words, Shana simply melted in his arms, sheer joy draining her body of strength as she realized the implications of his words. "Yuji... In that case, you should have told me earlier! I was so afraid that you would have picked Kazumi... I thought that you didn't like me, since I'm not as good as Kazumi... I can't cook, and my temper-"

Her words were cut off as he gently but firmly pressed his lips against hers, initiating their first kiss. "No more of that, Shana. There is only one person in the world that I love and would give my life for. And that person is you."

His face was dangerously close to hers, but she fought down her feelings of embarassment and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yuji... In that case, it should be fine for me to say what I want to say." She took a deep breath. "Yuji! I l-love you!"

The cloudy sky above them opened up with a light snow as they shared another kiss. As they broke from their kiss, the world around them was slowly turning white as snowflakes gently spiralled down from the heavens. Oblivous to the snow and the fact that they were getting soaked from the melting snow, they sat there in perfect comfort, taking shelter in each other's company. Suddenly, Yuji jumped a bit. "Ah- it's snowing? I didn't even notice..."

He stood up and held out a hand to her. "Come on, Shana. Let's leave before it starts snowing harder. It would be troublesome if we got trapped in a snowstorm and got sick, right?"

Shana reached out for his outstreched hand, her heart and body warm, despite the cold snow covering her shoulders and back. "Yeah!"

Hand in hand, the two ran back to Yuji's house, stumbling as the snow began falling more heavily, as if it had waited until the pair had left the park. Upon reaching the door of his house, the snow began falling so heavily that it grew difficult for Yuji to even see the door in front of him. He managed to get the door open and they all but fell into the hallway. "We're back..."

Chigusa stuck her head out from around the corner. "Ah, Shana-chan is here too? Did you get caught in the snowstorm?"

They supressed shivers. "Yeah. I'm gonna go upstairs to take a bath, then I'll be in my room if you need me."

Chigusa nodded and was about to go back into the living room when something popped into her mind. "Ah, Yu-chan, if it doesn't stop snowing so heavily, we might have to have Shana-chan sleep over tonight. I wouldn't feel safe having her walk home alone in such dangerous weather."

"O-oh. Right, I got it."

Shana and Yuji headed up to the second floor, where he started running hot water for a bath. "Shana, you can go in first, alright? I'll wait until you're done."

She walked into the bathroom and stood next to the tub, just staring at the water as it slowly filled up. When the tub was full, she took off her soaking wet and freezing clothes and got into the hot bathwater. She sighed in pure bliss as the heat of the water thawed out her body from her head to her toes. As she laid in the hot water, there were footsteps outside the door and a soft knock. "Shana. I'm going to leave some dry clothes for you, alright?"

Yuji opened the door and stepped into the steamy bathroom. Trying not to look at the tub where Shana was bathing, he put a bundle of clothing on a rack before he grabbed her wet clothes and left the room.

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><p>An hour or so later, the three of them sat around the dinner table. The snowstorm outside had only gotten worse since Yuji and Shana had gotten home. Chigusa got up from the table. "I'm going to call Caramel-san to let her know where you are. From the looks of it, you're going to have to stay here tonight."<p>

Yuji wiped his mouth and got up as well. "In that case, I'll go get a futon out for myself." He turned to look at Shana. "You can have the bed."

She followed him upstairs into the bedroom, where he pulled out the futon from inside the closet. She pulled at the covers as she helped him flatten out the futon on the floor of the room. After all preparations were finished, they went off to brush and wash up before getting ready for bed.

As she laid in bed, Shana was painfully aware of the fact that they were sleeping in the same room. She shook her head repeatedly, unable to get these thoughts out of her mind. She sat up and looked over at the floor, where Yuji slept peacefully. _I should go to sleep too... But being so close to him... I can't fall asleep!_

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><p>Yuji sat up in bed suddenly and rubbed his eyes. A quick look over at the clock and the darkness outside the room told him that it was still very late. "Geez... What woke me up just then?"<p>

Suddenly, a flash of light and a booming crack split the air outside. The snowstorm had turned into a thunderstorm while he had been sleeping. Then, from the bed, Yuji heard a very strange and foreign sound. _Is that... Whimpering?_

He slowly got up from his futon and walked over to the bed and sat on the side. Yuji reached out and patted the lump underneath the blankets. The was a loud squeak and Shana poked her head out from under the covers. "Shana... What's wron-"

Yuji windmilled his arms as she jumped at him, almost knocking him off the bed as she flung her arms around his body. He realized that she was shaking violently and laid a hand on her head. "Shana... Can it be you're afraid of thunder?"

Her face was bright red with embarassment as she looked up at him. "You must think I'm childish, don't you..."

He smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. I'm glad that I was able to learn something else about you."

They sat there in the dark, with Yuji slowly stroking her hair and back, softly whispering words of comfort into her ear. After some time, her breathing slowed and she laid her head against his chest. "Thank you, Yuji. I'm alright now."

As those words left her mouth, another flash of lightning outside caused her to dive back into his arms. "...Obviously not." he said with a small grin on his face. "Lie down, Shana."

"Eh? Why?"

"You need to get to sleep."

"B-b-but... The thunder..."

Yuji shook his head as he pretended to be exasperated. "My, my... I thought a Flame Haze like you would be stronger than this."

Her face flushed as she glared daggers at him. "W-what did you just say? Don't think that this thunder is enough to-"

Thunder cracked again across the sky and Shana dived beneath her covers. Yuji smiled again and reached for the top of her blankets. "I guess it can't be helped."

"Eh? Yuji? What are you doing?"

He climbed onto the bed and slowly slid underneath the covers. Shana felt like she would die from embarassment. _I'm in the same bed as Yuji... _Her face was a deep shade of crimson as he turned around to face her. "B-baka Yuji! What do you think you're doing, sneaking into my bed like that? I should hit you for doing such a- mmpf?"

He silenced her mouth with his as he embraced her tightly. "Oh be quiet... I'm doing this for your sake, you know?"

Shana sputtered, her head reeling from the kiss he just gave her. Yuji patted her back. "If I do this, I think you'll be able to get some sleep."

Though she hated to admit it, he was right. With him by her side, the thunder suddenly didn't matter anymore. Hesitantly, Shana reached out and put her arms around him as well. "...-nk you..."

"Hm? What was that?"

She looked up at him with a face hot enough that it was nearly steaming. "I said, thank you."

Shana looked surprised to see him look surprised and flustered. "A-ah. I see. You're w-welcome."

_Can it be that he feels just as embarassed as I do? Sure, I told him that I loved him, but this is moving along a little too fast, isn't it?_ The room was silent for a while as Shana and Yuji laid there in bed, both unwilling to say anything. "... Hey, Yuji..."

"Yes?"

"T-tomorrow... Would you want to... uhm... go on a d-d-d-date with me?"

Yuji grabbed her chin and looked into her warm brown eyes, the eyes of the woman he loved with every fiber of his being. "If it's you, I'm more than okay with it."

He leaned in closer to her. "... Your face is too close, baka..."

A mere few centimeters separated their lips. Shana closed her eyes and waited for the moment to occur, the magical few seconds where their lips would meet. Yuji closed the final gap and kissed her lips tenderly. He broke their kiss and looked at her lovingly. "Good night, Shana."

She leaned in and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "Good night, Yuji." As his eyes closed, she whispered under her breath, "... my love."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Ahhhh, such a happy ending! Now I really do feel bad about what I have planned for this story... Their date will be in the next chapter, along with an appearance by the elusive denizen that they had been chasing! What will they do? What is this denizen's mysterious powers? Find out in the next chapter of this fic, **Denizen of Despair.**

Like always, please remember to leave a review if possible or PM me a suggestion! Your opinions are valuable to me and they offer important pieces of advice and information from you, my readers! Thank you!

Until next time!

~TabiNoTochuu


	3. Denizen of Despair

**Author's note: **Well, I somehow managed to get the rest of this story finished, so I can now focus on my other stories. I have to say, I wasn't expecting it to be this long, but I'm quite happy with how it turned out.

This chapter begins the start of the darker side to the story. The Denizen from the first chapter comes and interrupts Yuji and Shana's date (how rude!), but there's something strange about this Denizen.

As always, please read and review, or send me suggestions through a PM!

Until Next Time!

~TabiNoTochuu

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><p>Chapter 2- Denizen of Despair<p>

The incessant beeping of the alarm clock cut through the quiet morning air. Yuji groaned and blindly groped around the bed, searching for the source of the annoyance. His hand closed upon the familiar shape of the clock and mercilessly slammed down on the snooze button. The alarm clock quieted after letting loose one final death rattle. Yuji sighed and pulled his hand back toward his body, intending to sleep just a little while longer. Then, his hand fell upon something warm and exceedingly soft to the touch. He opened his eyes to see a girl sleeping next to him. For a brief moment, his face flared red as he tried to remember why he was in bed with Shana. _We couldn't have done anything... indecent... right? _

Then, as he stared into the complex contours of her face, the memories of the previous night poured back into his mind. The red of his face brightened another few shades as he recalled what had happened. "Ah, that's right. I promised Shana that I'd go on a date with her today."

Yuji yawned and moved to get up. As he turned around, he felt a tug on the center of his shirt and looked down. Shana was tightly gripping his shirt, with no intentions of letting go. _Could it be... she's been like this all night?_ He reached out and stroked her silky black hair and leaned in closer to her. "That's my Shana, I guess." He closed his eyes and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

As he pulled away, Yuji found himself looking into the warm brown eyes of the girl lying next to him. "A-ah. S-s-s-shana! Y-you see, this is... um... how do I explain this?"

Instead of flying into a rage, she smiled up at him. "It's fine." Shana got up and slowly stretched. "We should probably get up before Chigusa-san comes up to check up on us."

He smacked himself in the head. "I didn't even think of that..."

Then, he heard a sound unfamiliar to his ears. _Shana's... giggling? She seems so different than before... More... feminine? _A hand lightly slapped his cheek and brought him out of his trance. "Yuji... stop staring off into space. What were you thinking about?"

He blushed furiously. "I can't tell you that! I-it's embarrassing..."

"Come on now. Don't think I'll let you off for this! It'll be much easier for you if you just tell me what you were-"

"I was thinking that you looked really c-c-cute when you giggle!"

"Eh?"

Yuji looked away, utterly embarrassed by his situation. "There. I said it, okay? I think you look cute when you giggle."

Shana seemed to be almost in a daze. "...Cute? I look... cute?"

"... and a lot more feminine than normal."

A vein seemed to pop in Shana's forehead as she turned to glare at him. "Does that mean I'm not feminine normally?"

Yuji realized his mistake and desperately tried to back off. "N-no! What I meant to say was-"

His eyes widened in surprise as Shana rushed at him and did what he least expected her to do. His protesting mouth was forcibly silenced by her warm lips. She pulled away, her crimson face a perfect replica of his own. "W-w-well, since you said I was cute, I guess I can let it slide this time..." A mischievous glint returned to her eyes. "But, as a punishment, YOU are going to be paying for everything for our date today."

He smiled in relief. "Yes, yes. I got it."

As she turned to leave, Yuji reached out and entrapped her hand in his own. "Yuji? What-"

A kiss. A full and passionate kiss. Shana's eyes opened wide in protest, but slowly, the fire of resistance in them died out. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, reveling in the passion of the moment.

Chigusa-san picked the worst time ever to open the door.

"My, my! Congratulations, you two!"

They leapt apart with a speed that would have impressed even the fastest sprinters. Their faces red and practically steaming from embarrassment, Shana and Yuji followed Chigusa-san downstairs for breakfast.

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><p>"Mom, we're leaving now!"<p>

"Be careful, and have fun, you two!"

Yuji closed the door to his house and walked over to the gate, where Shana was waiting. "Hurry up, Yuji! If we miss the train then we have to wait sooooo long for the next one!"

"Don't worry, Shana! We have plenty of time to get to the station."

They walked on in silence, the only noise between them was the sound of their footsteps and the occasional noise the wind made as it whipped around them. "... Hey, Yuji."

"Hm? What's up?"

"Could we... um... Could we hold h-h-hands?"

It was hard for Yuji to even think about refusing her request as she looked at him with an obviously embarrassed look. Her eyes widened slightly as she felt his hand slip into hers. They walked the rest of the way to the station like this, silent, yet, comforted that the person that they loved was next to them.

Yuji bought two tickets and boarded the train with Shana. They sat next to each other and Shana laid her head on his shoulder. "Yuji, do you have something planned for today?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. I was thinking we could start out by just browsing the shops, then we could go watch a movie. As for tonight, I booked us a table at a restaurant overlooking the ocean."

"Wow... You really thought all this out? To think that you managed to plan all of this within a few hours!"

Yuji looked away, a bit embarrassed by her praise. "It wasn't much... If it's for you, this is nothing!"

The train took them to the shopping district of Misaki city. Shana eagerly pulled Yuji off the train and headlong into the clusters of shops that lined the streets. They browsed through stores all morning, never actually buying anything, and stopped for lunch at a small bakery near them. "Shana, what kind of movie do you want to go see?"

Shana swallowed her melon bread and looked at him in surprise. "Eh? What kind of movie?" She thought for a minute. "What kinds of movies are there?"

"All kinds! There's probably a movie about any given subject you can think about!"

"Hmm? That's amazing... Then, why don't you pick one?"

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to have to sit through a movie that you don't like."

She rested her hand against his. "If it's with you, I think I'll manage."

"Well, in that case, why don't we go see a horror movie?"

"W-what? A h-h-horror movie?"

"Yeah. Don't tell me you're scared."

Shana turned away so that he wouldn't see her face. "O-o-of course I'm not s-s-scared of some stupid h-horror movie!"

"Great! Then let's go!"

"Ah! Yuji! Hold onnnnn!"

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><p>Yuji blinked as his eyes attempted to adjust to the bright afternoon light outside of the movie theatre. "So, how was your first experience of a horror movie, Shana?"<p>

There was no response from the girl at his side. "Shana?"

He looked into her face to see her crying. "What- Shana! Were you really this scared? Why didn't you tell me?"

She wiped her eyes and looked at him tearfully. "I thought that it was the point of the horror movie... Isn't the goal of the movie to scare me? I felt that it would be rude if I left halfway..."

Yuji grinned ruefully. "I see... Next time, just let me know. You can leave if you need to."

"... Really?"

He kissed her teary cheeks. "Really."

Yuji grabbed her hand. "Now, how about dinner at that restaurant? I promise that the food there will be the best you've ever tasted!"

Her eyes lit up. "They better have some melon bread too, or I'll never forgive you."

He kissed her again, this time fully on the lips. "If they don't, I'll buy you some."

"...Baka."

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><p>Yuji watched as Shana devoured another plate of food. "Ah... Shana... I know it's an all-you can eat buffet, but there has to be a limit, right?"<p>

She glared at him. "You said I could have all I wanted, right? Well, I'm still hungry!"

"I-is that so? But you've already had six plates of food... Not counting the one you're eating right now."

"Oh be quiet! Geez... You can really by annoying some-"

Shana suddenly stood up in her seat, her eyes wide. "Shana? What's the ma-"

Yuji's eyes widened as he felt and recognized the presence of the Denizen that had eluded them so many times in the past month. "Damn!" He closed his eyes and concentrated. "Fuzetsu!"

The red dome sprang into existence, rendering the normal humans inside helplessly immobile. "Shana!"

She grabbed him and leapt out of the window. "Yuji! Behind us!"

He turned to look at whatever was pursuing them. A chill ran down his spine as he got a first look at the Denizen that they had hunted for so long. Though it wasn't particularly powerful, there was something about it that made him feel uneasy. _What is this feeling? _Then, the creature reached out with one hand and bolts of blue energy flew from its outstretched palm. "Shana! Dive!"

She reacted without hesitation, folding her flame wings against her body and dropping into a steep dive. The barrage of energy projectiles missed them by a narrow degree as Shana flew onwards, trying to put some distance between the scene of the combat and the area where innocent bystanders may be killed. Yuji reached out and pointed at a beach not too far away. "Shana! Land there! There's no one around there, so we can go all out!"

Shana nodded. "Got it!"

She weaved from side to side, dodging the bursts of blue energy that the Denizen fired at them. She landed on the beach and summoned Yogasa. Shana pulled out her sword while Yuji scrambled to the side, preparing the bookmark that contained Blutsauger and looking for an opportunity to change the battle. _She should be alright by herself, but I need to be alert._ He closed his eyes and concentrated. A blue glow emanated from the bookmark and his sword, Blutsauger sprang into being. The Denizen landed twenty or so meters from Shana and just stood there.

For a few brief moments, there was no sound between them except the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline. Then, a low, rumbling chuckle erupted from the mouth of the Denizen. "Step aside, Flame Haze. I'm not here to start a fight with you. I'm here for that Mystes, or rather, what's inside of him."

Shana narrowed her eyes. _Reiji Maigo? Is this guy with Bel Masque? I thought they were done for! _"I don't care what your goals are, but I won't let you lay a single finger on Yuji!"

The Denizen laughed in contempt. "My, my! How touching! Don't tell me a Flame Haze like you has become attached to a mere Torch!"

Shana blushed slightly, but otherwise retained her composure. "And? So what if I have? It is none of your concern, and furthermore, you don't have the power to defeat me. But, if you leave now, I'll only leave some burns on you instead of completely incinerating you."

A blue flame appeared in the hand of the Denizen. "Suit yourself, Flame Haze."

He slammed his hand down on the sand and a spell sign appeared underneath Shana. Her eyes widened, but the sign rendered her immobile as she tried desperately to get away. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Yuji running towards her, but it was clear to see that he would be too late. _A trap, huh? I was too careless... _She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. The Denizen grinned and closed his fist.

A line of blue light sped out and hit the spell mark. Instantly, the area which it occupied turned into a blazing pillar of blue fire. "Hm?"

When the fire had cleared, there was no sign of Shana. The Denizen narrowed its eyes, looking around for the Flame Haze and the Mystes that accompanied it. A soft flapping noise from above alerted him to their presence and the Denizen quickly jumped away, narrowly avoiding a large burst of flame. "Oh?"

He looked up and stared in surprise. The one who had fired on him was not the Flame Haze, but the Mystes! What's more, the boy had sprouted wings of an incandescent blue, a polar opposite to the bright red-orange wings of the Flame Haze. "Yuji?"

Yuji looked down at Shana, whom he held tightly in his arms. "You've got to be more careful! That little trap would have been very nasty if I hadn't managed to do something."

Shana looked at him, her eyes still uncomprehending and stunned. "Yuji... you're flying?"

He looked back and seemed to acknowledge the wings for the first time. "Ah. When I saw the spell sign, I desperately wanted to save you, even though I knew I wouldn't make it on time. I wished for some way to help you, and I guess this was the method. I managed to create an Unrestricted Spell that has the same functions as your wings, though the color is obviously different.

Yuji set her down on the sand. "Now, let's quickly finish this guy off and go home."

The Denizen roared with laughter. "Ha! Nice trick, _boy. _But do you really think you can beat me? I'll show you my true powers right here and now!"

Yuji's eyes widened in surprise and he staggered as the creature's killing intent shifted off of Shana and onto himself. "Crap, crap, crap!"

He jumped into the sky and readied a fireball with one hand. When he turned around, he saw a huge wave of blue energy rushing at him.

"Yuji! Watch out!"

A blue bolt of energy was flying towards Yuji. There was no time to think, only enough time to react, a purely reflexive movement. Blutsauger came up in an arc and intercepted the path of the blast of magic. He grunted from the shock of stopping such a fast-moving and dense shot of magic. Yuji's eyes widened as he felt Blutsauger treble violently in his hands. Numerous cracks began spreading across the blade of Blutsauger, until, with a loud crack, the blade shattered into a myriad of glittering fragments. Yuji didn't even have time to cry out as the blue energy enveloped his body.

"Yuji!" Shana screamed as he was hit head-on by the blast. Leaving the Denizen behind, she rushed towards Yuji, her only thought was to save the one she loved the most.

The smoke around Yuji's body slowly dissipated, revealing his cut and burned body. Shana grabbed him and shook him repeatedly, but there was no response from him. Tears leaked from her eyes as she berated herself, cursing her inability to protect him. Her tears dried as an unnatural anger rushed through her body. She screamed in rage and pain and a column of flame shot into the sky. The Denizen cried out and shielded his eyes from the brilliant glow. "Tsk!"

It reached out and prepared to fire at the Flame Haze at the center of the towering pillar of fire. Only to discover its arm was missing. The Crimson Denizen cried out in pain as blood spurted out from the stump of his arm. Shana approached it, her eyes reflecting only her murderous rage and an overwhelming intent to kill.

"Your life ends here, you scum."

A blade of fire flashed and removed the head of the Denizen. The Denizen grinned up at the Flame Haze. "The fate of this battle has already been decided. It's too late to do anything now."

"Urusai."

Slowly, the existence of the Denizen began to disappear, leaving the space it occupied as empty as it was before. But, the Flame Haze that had killed it was already gone.

Shana sat next to the unmoving figure of Sakai Yuji, her eyes brimming with tears. "Yuji..."

She buried her head in his chest and cried. "Don't you dare leave me! I won't forgive you! I won't!" Her voice weakened. "... So please... Don't die on me."

Shana's eyes opened wide as she felt a warm hand on her cheek. She looked down into the warm eyes of Sakai Yuji. "Who said I was going to die anytime soon?"

Tears of joy and relief fell from Shana's eyes. Yuji slowly sat up and winced from the pain racing throughout his body. The pain intensified by a sharp degree as she jumped on him and hugged him tightly. "Ouch! Shana! I might still be alive, but I won't be for long if you hug me like that!"

Shana blushed and let go of him. "A-ah! Sorry, Yuji!"

He smiled and slowly got to his feet. "It's fine. I'm just happy that you were so worried about me."

They repaired the damage to the area and Yuji dispelled the Fuzetsu. Carefully, they made their way back to the station, with Yuji leaning heavily on her body."I'm sorry... I guess I used up more energy than I thought."

Shana smiled warmly at him. "Don't worry about me, Yuji."

The pair boarded the train and began their journey home.

* * *

><p>11:35 PM<p>

"Gah... It's so late! Mom's gonna be so mad if she finds out..."

Shana rubbed her shoulder against him. "If you're already going to be late, then how about you stay out a bit longer with me?"

"S-s-shana?"

"Geez... I never got to thank you properly for saving my life today, you know?"

"S-shana... I don't think that we s-should be... I mean, I don't know if t-this is a g-good idea."

"Oh, shut up and kiss me, you blubbering idiot."

11:55 PM

Yuji looked up at the stars from the darkened park. Though the grass underneath him was cold, he barely felt the chill against his body. Shana laid next to him, his jacket covering her body from the cold evening air. He smiled and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Come on, Shana. Let's go home, alright?"

She smiled at him sleepily. "Just a bit longer, okay?"

Yuji lifted her chin and kissed her lips tenderly. "My, my... I never knew my Shana was so greedy!"

11:59 PM

Yuji sighed and got up from the ground. _What a day... _He looked down at Shana and a warm smile spread across his face. _Still, I'm with the girl I love, and, no matter what, it was a great day today._ He kissed her nose and got ready to go home with her.

12:00 AM

As midnight struck, Yuji felt a completely different sensation than normal. Instead of feeling refreshed and invigorated, his body felt like a fire was burning inside of it. "GYAHHHHH!"

Shana got up, startled at his sudden screams of pain. "Yuji? Yuji, what's wrong?"

He grabbed at his chest and collapsed, still screaming in pain. "Shana... *gasp* something... wrong... *gasp*...Reiji Maigo... painful... *gasp*"

She grabbed him and tried desperately to determine the source of the pain. She jerked her hands away as his skin suddenly flared dangerously hot. _Could this have something to do with the injuries from the Denizen?_ She held on to him with eyes filled with tears. "Please, Yuji... You can make it through the pain!"

12:01 AM

Just as suddenly as it began, the heat and pain disappeared. Yuji had a brief moment of clarity before his consciousness began to fade. "... what happened..."

Shana grabbed him as he fell over, summoning her wings at the same time. Carrying his unconscious body, she flew to the nearest hospital and dragged him inside. She screamed for help and fell to her knees, only able to watch as Yuji was carried into a room by a group of doctors and given an oxygen mask. _No, no, no... Why did this have to happen? Everything was perfect up until now!_

Shana controlled her emotions and walked over to a telephone. She left messages for Chigusa-san and Wilhelmina, telling them where she was and what had happened. As a final thought, she picked up the phone one last time.

"Hello?

"Who is this?"

"It's Shana. I need to speak with the Interpreter of Condolence. It's urgent."

"Ah. One moment, please."

Shana could hear the person on the other side calling for Margery, and a precious minute passed before a female voice answered. "What do you need, runt?"

With a voice filled with pain and desperation, Shana told her everything there was to hear about the battle with the Denizen and how Yuji had reacted afterward. When she finished, there was another long pause. "Go to him and watch over him for a while. I'm on my way."

She hung up and raced back to Yuji's hospital room. She pulled up a chair and sat next to his bed, unwilling to move until Margery arrived. "I promise you... I will not leave your side. So please, get through this, Yuji!"

An hour later, the clacking of heels announced the arrival of Margery Daw. She briskly walked into the room and locked the door. Shana took the hint and quickly closed the curtains. Margery stood at the foot of the bed and stared curiously at Yuji. "Well, I should start my preliminary search. I hope that there's nothing serious, but I'll see what I can do if I do find something."

She closed her eyes and chanted as she casted an Unrestricted Spell designed to search a person's body for any abnormalities that had appeared since the last time the spell was used. As one of the spell marks passed over his chest, Margery's eyes snapped open. "... This is..."

The glow of the magic faded and she slumped against the wall, her eyes filled with shock and horror. " Brat... Do you remember the seal we placed on the Snake of the Festival to force it back into the Reiji Maigo?"

Shana felt a sinking sensation in her stomach as a horrible premonition came to mind. "Yes..."

"... Our supposedly unbreakable seal has been cracked. Soon, the seal will completely break. You know what this means, right?"

Shana fell to her knees, tears streaming from her eyes. "No... no, no... Why? Why is this happening?"

"The Snake will eventually reinstate its hold over Yuji's body. However, since Yuji will not be supporting him, Yuji's consciousness will be crushed until it disappears. Sakai Yuji will cease to exist and his body will be just a puppet for the Snake. "

Margery put a hand on Shana's shoulder. "I'm sorry. But, there's nothing else I can do. If anyone can do something, it's Yuji himself. He has to fight the Snake inside of him. However, this isn't a permanent method, as the Snake is just too powerful. But it should give us a month or so more to try and save him."

She quietly left, leaving Shana alone in the room. The tears continued to flow freely down her face as she stared at the unmoving body of the man she loved. "Please... Don't give up, Yuji! Fight for your existence so we can live a happy life together!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>Oh NOOOOOOOOO! Yeah... I did say this story would get more depressing later on. But, the real horribleness starts in the next chapter. However, I think my epilogue will make anyone who was emotionally affected feel better (hopefully!).

**Shana**: W-w-w-what did you make me do with Yuji in that park?

**TabiNoTochuu: **I think that's rather obvious.

**Shana: **W-why would you make m-me do such a t-t-thing?

**TabiNoTochuu: **You love each other. Don't make a fuss about it. I AM the author, you know.

**Shana: **URUSAI URUSAI URUSAI! Just go die already!

**Yuji: **...

**The story will continue in the next chapter: Confessions of a Flame Haze: _End of Time_**


	4. End of Time

**Author's note: **This is the result of an idea that sprang into my head today. Managed to finish writing, typing and editing all of it.

This will be the last official chapter of the story, though there is an epilogue. PLEASE read the epilogue! It will make you feel better!

~TabiNoTochuu

* * *

><p>Chapter 3 - End of Time<p>

Yuji's eyes twitched and slowly opened. "Ugh... Where... am I?"

The soft sound of breathing nearby caught his attention. He looked down to see Shana sleeping with her head resting on his bed. Her hand tightly held his, and the dark spots underneath her eyes told him that she had gotten very little sleep. "I'm sorry I worried you so much, Shana."

She was still asleep, and he pulled his hand out of hers and sat up. As his hand left hers, Shana began muttering in her sleep, as if the loss of his touch had caused her to have a nightmare. Yuji leaned over and slowly rubbed her back, trying to instill a sense of calm to her sleeping body. "I'm sorry..."

She twitched and opened her eyes. "Yuji... you're awake..."

He nodded and enclosed her hands in his. "I'm so sorry... I made you worry about me..."

Shana smiled warmly at him and gave his hand a little squeeze. "What matters most is that you're safe."

A sharp jolt of pain raced through his head and he grunted in pain. "Shana... I know there's more than what you're telling me. There's something wrong with me, right? Please... Tell me what happened to me yesterday night. I don't remember anything after collapsing in the park."

Instantly, the relief and joy in her eyes turned into pain and regret. She bit her lip, as if trying to decide whether or not she should tell him the truth. "... Yuji... I have some bad news."

He sat there silently as Shana told him everything that had happened since last night. When she finished talking, the silence in the room was absolute. "... I see. I have only a month or so remaining before that Denizen's power reawakens the Snake inside of me..."

Shana stood up, her eyes overflowing with tears. "I'll be leaving now, Yuji. I can't stay with you anymore. It was my fault that all this happened. If I wasn't with you, then you wouldn't have gotten hurt, and the Snake of the Festival wouldn't be on the verge of coming back..."

As she turned around to leave, she felt a hand grab hers. "... Come here..."

Yuji pulled her back onto his hospital bed and hugged her tightly. "Did you think that I would hate you? That I would blame you for what happened?"

He pulled back a finger and flicked her on the forehead. "Ouch!"

He leaned in and kissed the spot where he flicked her. "Don't ever say something like that again. There's no possible way that I could ever hate you, Shana."

She threw her arms around his body and burst into furious tears, allowing the stress and pain from the previous night to drain away as she lost herself in his reassuring presence. "Shhh... It's alright. We will find a way to get through this. Together, Shana. I swear it on my life."

"... Yuji..."

"Shana... Don't worry. We can make it through all of this."

He sighed. "This pain is still a real annoyance though..."

Shana nodded. "Margery-san told me that it would continue, and only get worse. Every time the Reiji Maigo replenishes your power of existence, the Snake will try and get free. That internal struggle is the source of the pain you feel now. As long as you can fight the pain, you will maintain your existence. But if you fall unconscious or lose to the pain, the Snake will take over your body."

Yuji nodded to himself. "I thought so. In that case, I think I'm going to ask to be discharged today."

"Eh?"

"There's no point in me staying here if my condition is something a normal doctor can't fix."

"But... they have painkillers and other medicines here that should make it easier for you to bear the pain!"

Yuji shook his head. "I doubt the Snake is that careless. No matter what I try to do, the pain will get through to me. Besides, using painkillers will probably only help knock me out faster."

"Still..."

"This is for the best, Shana. This way, even if I do eventually get overwhelmed, I can at least spend my remaining time with you."

Despite the situation, Shana had to blush at his words. "... Baka. I still think you're making a mistake, but it's your choice."

She got up and opened the door to his room. "I'll go tell the doctor then. I'm sure he'll be just as happy as I was to hear your decision."

After an hour's worth of heated debate, the head doctor finally agreed to discharge Yuji from the hospital. _This is a mistake... _Shana thought to herself. _But how can I prevent him from doing what he wants?_

* * *

><p><strong>2 Weeks Later<strong>

Shana slowly opened her eyes as the morning sun filtered in through the curtains. She shook the sleeping form of Yuji next to her. "Hey... wake up..."

He snorted and shook himself awake. "Ugh... morning already? Well, this just means we have another day to have fun."

Though she hated to think so optimistically, Shana had to admit that he was doing much better than anyone expected. Yuji returned to his normal life with very little changes due to the new pain that hindered him.

"Hey... Shana. What do you want to do today?"

"I'm tireddddd! We've done so many fun things recently that even I have had enough for a while!"

Yuji laughed. "What's this? Are you really my Shana? The Shana I know and love has enough energy to keep her going for a seemingly endless amount of time!"

Her face flaming red, she smacked him lightly on the back of the head. "Baka! I really am tired, you know?"

"Geez, Shana... I was just kidding!"

She gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "I know. That's why I hit you."

"... Sadist."

Her face flushed and she glared at him. "Oh no you didn't. You better hope I don't get a hold of you, Yuji... Cause when I do..."

He laughed and jumped out of the way of the kick she had aimed at him. "Ok, ok! I'm sorry! I really am sorry!"

Shana grabbed his shoulders. "You had better make it up to me somehow."

Yuji grinned and stole a kiss. "I was hoping you'd say that." Ignoring her whispered "_masochist..._", he continued. "In that case, how about we go to the beach today? It looks like it'll be really hot today, and it's a perfect day to just sit somewhere in the sun and relax.

"Hmmm... Will you buy me melon bread?"

"Of course! I was thinking we should just find a place that's secluded and has a bit of shade so we don't get heatstroke."

"... that sounds nice..."

"In that case, go change into your swimsuit, and I'll get some food ready by the time you're finished changing."

She left to put on her swimsuit and gather her beach necessities while Yuji went downstairs to help his mom prepare a basket of various snacks to take with them. He finished packing the food and sat down to wait for Shana. _What's taking her so long? Maybe I should go check up on her?_ Yuji walked upstairs and knocked on the bathroom door. "Shana? Are you ready yet?"

From inside, he could hear retching and coughing. "Shana? I'm coming in!"

He flung open the door to see a pale-faced Shana leaning over the sink. "Shana! What's the matter?"

She shook her head and slowly dropped to her knees. "I don't know... I suddenly felt really sick, and my stomach has been churning ever since."

Yuji looked at her with eyes filled with worry. "Shana, I'll go get mom. You just hang in there. I'm sure she knows some sort of home remedy for these sort of things."

She nodded gratefully, and heard, rather than saw Yuji run out of the bathroom. Moments later, she heard his voice as it yelled for Chigusa-san to come up.

* * *

><p>Some time later, Chigusa exited the bathroom with a much healthier-looking Shana in tow. "Are you feeling better, Shana?"<p>

She looked away from him, unable to speak as her face flushed dangerously red. "Shana? Is something wrong?"

He looked toward his mother for support. Chigusa cleared her throat. "Um... Yu-chan? She'll be fine, but at the same time, she won't be fine."

Yuji looked at his mother in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Chigusa stepped aside and began to walk downstairs. "I'll let Shana-chan tell you about it herself." She excused herself and rushed downstairs.

Shana looked down, her embarrassment obvious. "Yuji..."

"Yes?"

She took several deep breaths, obviously trying to gather up the courage to say what she needed to say to him. "Yuji! I'm... I'm p-p-p-pregnant!"

"Huh?" A bolt of electricity seemed to run through his body as his mind tried to process what his ears had heard.

"It explains why I've been feeling sick sometimes, and why I threw up this morning. Chigusa-san suspected it and confirmed it using a pregnancy test."

Yuji ran a hand through his hair. "... Well. This was certainly unexpected."

Shana looked at him with fiery eyes. "I've also decided that I want to keep the baby."

He smiled at the look in her eyes and the determined face she had on. "Of course you have. In that case, I'll have to take responsibility as well. I'll be supporting you through this."

Her eyes snapped up to meet his. "... You will?"

Yuji kissed her trembling lips and smiled. "Don't forget, Shana. That's my child as well. I can't possibly let you shoulder such a burden on your own."

She put her arms around the comfortable and reassuring form of his body. Suddenly, his body jerked and Yuji quickly sprang away, his face distorted by pain. "Gah..."

Her eyes widened, but teared up as she realized it was one of his spasms. It was over within a minute, though his face was still pale and his body was slick with sweat from the memory of the pain. "Yuji... It's getting worse, isn't it."

He sighed. "I guess I can't lie to you. Yeah. I can feel him getting stronger within me. His efforts to break free are becoming more and more frequent. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep him suppressed..."

Shana ran up to him and slapped him across the face. "... Shana?"

She stood in front of him, panting heavily as tears rolled down her face. "Don't you dare talk like that in front of me again! You promised me that you would keep it suppressed! And now you have a reason to. Keep it suppressed so that we can reseal the Snake! More importantly, keep it suppressed so that you will live to see the day your child is born."

Yuji forced a smile onto his face. "I'd like that..." He stood up and stroked her hair. "You're right, Shana. In that case, let's forget about the beach and just stay at home today. Maybe some more sleep would do us both good."

**8 hours later.**

Yuji opened his eyes and carefully extracted himself from Shana's embrace. He kissed her sleeping form and walked over to the desk in his room. From a drawer, he pulled out a few sheets of paper and an envelope. He dipped his pen in the inkwell next to his hand and began writing.

_My Dearest Shana,_

_By the time you read this letter, I will either be dead or dying by your hand. I have attached an unrestricted spell to this letter that will allow it to last a week or so after my existence disappears. First of all, I'd like to thank you for everything you've done for me in our time together. You may be hurt and guilty, but know this. I do not blame you for what has happened. You are not responsible for my death. These are my last words to you._

Yuji wrote freely, his hand flowing across the page as he poured his heart and soul into his words. Occasional teardrops marred the paper as he continued to write. Half an hour later, he set down the pen and read through what he had written. Satisfied that he had covered everything that needed to be said, he picked up the pen one last time to sign the letter before sliding the papers into the envelope.

_Your Eternal Torch,_

_Sakai Yuji_

He licked the envelope and sealed it shut before sliding it into his jacket pocket. Carefully, he opened the window and cast two Unrestricted Spells as he jumped out. The first cloaked his body with the air around him, rendering him invisible to prying eyes. The second summoned his flaming blue wings. He shot up into the sky and disappeared from view.

* * *

><p>Shana woke up suddenly. She rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Yuji...?"<p>

The absence of the familiar warmth at her side told her the truth. He had disappeared. Shana sat up and pulled the sheets around her body before she ran to the window. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind as she looked up into the sky. "Yuji... Where have you gone?"

Suddenly, a great weight seemed to fall over her body. She staggered and looked around wildly. Her eyes grew even more scared as she realized she recognized this presence. It was the existence of the Snake of the Festival. "No... NO! It can't be happening!"

No matter how hard she begged the skies for this to be a dream, she couldn't run from the reality. Yuji had lost his battle, and the Snake had been revived. She summoned her trench coat and leapt out of the window. _Please, let me not be too late. If I can talk him back to normal, then everything might turn out fine._

Shana summoned her wings and fueled them to greater speeds using her fear and pain. As she flew over the city, she noticed a figure walking along the shore where she had fought the Denizen with Yuji. Folding her wings, she dropped into a dive and landed in front of the figure. Her eyes widened and tears formed in her eyes as she recognized the body of the Snake of the Festival. The braided hair, the traditional armor, and the cold, murderous eyes. Nothing about the person in front of her gave her a clue that the Yuji she loved was still alive inside.

The Snake narrowed its eyes. "I didn't think I'd meet _you_ again, Flame Haze."

"Nor I you. But, let's get the pleasantries over with. I will force you out of Yuji's body for good!"

He laughed in his deep and rich voice. "Please. Do you really think that you can defeat me? Your feelings for this Mystes are too deep for you to attempt to stab or even injure me. What's more, I have already crushed that miserable boy's existence from this world. His body and mind are mine, and I will restart the work that you interrupted all that time ago..."

Shana drew her sword and waited for the Snake to make its move. _Can I really do it? Can I swing my sword at Yuji? _She shook her head and a light of determination ran through her eyes. _No. That's not Yuji. If I manage to cut the Snake out of that body, then it WILL be Yuji. I just have to make sure it isn't a killing blow._

She closed her eyes and concentrated. Flames materialized on the length of her sword as she charged at the Snake. He narrowed his eyes and threw up a hand. A burst of black fire shot at her, only to be deflected by her blade. "Not bad... It looks like you've improved somewhat since we last met, Flame Haze."

She grinned at him. "That's not all. I'm just getting started."

Shana ran in circles around the Snake, creating a ring of fire around his body. "What do you hope to accomplish with a trick like that?"

Her sneering voice came from the ring of fire. "Oh, just this!"

From inside the fire, multiple images of Shana appeared. The Snake sighed and shook his head. "My, my... Such a foolish girl. Do you really think mere _illusions_ are enough to best me?"

He readied his black fire and shot a single blast at each figure. As the figures turned into fire, the blaze travelled up his black fire and headed straight for him. "What?"

A huge column of fire raced toward the sky as the flames converged on the Snake. Shana landed a few meters away and surveyed her handiwork. "That should have at least injured him a little. If it did, it'll make my life a lot easier."

A sudden sound behind her alerted her to his presence and she jumped into the air, firing fireballs at the figure that was behind her. A hand on her shoulder caused her to turn around. The Snake stood there, smiling. "Yo."

With one hand, he threw her at the ground. Shana laid there, stunned as he walked towards her, black flame once again forming in his hand. "Well, it was fun, but looks like this is the end for you, Flame Haze."

Shana tried desperately to get up, but the shock of the impact rendered her unable to move. "What an ending... to be killed by the man I love."

She closed her eyes and waited for the end. The blast from the fire exploded some where behind her and she opened her eyes again in shock. The Snake was clutching his head, screaming something out loud. "NO! How are you... I crushed your mind, you brat!"

One of his hands formed a fist and punched himself repeatedly. A new voice emerged, one that Shana recognized instantly. "Get away from her. I won't let you hurt the woman I love!"

The mental grapple between them lasted several minutes as the minds inside Yuji's head fought for control. Finally, he dropped to his knees and smiled. "Shana."

"Yuji! You did it!"

He winced in pain as his hand came up again. "Not entirely. I've only managed to subdue him. We only have a few minutes before he takes control again. If he does, I will never manage to get back in control again."

"W-what are you saying?"

Yuji spread his arms wide. "Please, Shana. End my life. Only I can keep him from emerging again, but I need your help."

The tip of Nietono no Shana dropped to the sand as she fell to her knees. "What? NO! I can't do that! How could you even ask me to do that?"

Yuji took a step forward. "Please, Shana. It's for the good of the world. My life is a small sacrifice for such a cause."

Shana shook her head as tears ran down her grief-stricken face. "Even so! How do you expect me to live, if you're not here with me?"

Yuji shook his head. "Then there's only one other thing you can do."

Shana looked up in hope. "What is it? Please tell me!"

He pointed at a spot below his heart. "This is where the Reiji Maigo is hidden. Pierce it and destroy the Snake's mind once and for all. I will only suffer from the cut."

Shana nodded and approached him. "Yuji... When this is over, let's go on a trip together. Just the two of us."

He smiled at her tenderly. "Whatever you say. There's also something I wanted to tell you after this."

She closed her eyes and plunged the tip of her sword into him. Yuji screamed in both tones of his voice as his mind and the Snake's mind joined together for a brief moment. When he had quieted down, Shan pulled the sword out and pressed her hands on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "We did it, Yuji! We did it..."

He opened one eye and smiled. "Yeah, we did. I'm just sorry that I won't be able to enjoy our victory."

"Yuji? What do you mean?"

She looked down at his wound and realized what he had done. At the last moment, when she had closed her eyes, he had nudged the tip of the sword up a few inches. The tip of Nietono no Shana had pierced his heart. "NO! Why? I thought if we pierced the Reiji Maigo, it would all be over!"

He sighed, then coughed painfully. "I lied."

"W-what? WHY?"

"I knew you didn't have the resolve to kill me, so I provided you with another solution that would seem more favorable for you. It was the only thing I could do."

"B-but. Yuji! You promised that we would have a happy life together! That we would travel the world together! That we would be together forever!"

There was pain in his eyes as he looked at her. "I'm sorry, Shana. I'll still be with you though, you just won't be able to see me."

"N-no! I won't accept this!"

"That reminds me. You remember I told you that I had something to tell you, right?"

She choked from the tears welling up inside of her. "Y-yeah. What was it?"

He reached a trembling hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out two things. The first was a sealed envelope. The second was a plain blue box. "Shana. I want you to take this envelope. Read what's inside of it after I'm gone."

"Don't say that! You won't die! I won't let you!"

"Second... This is something I meant to give you yesterday, but the thick-headed me of yesterday decided to wait until today." He flipped open the box to reveal a brilliant red diamond set in a ring made out of intertwining bands of red and white gold. "I was going to ask you for the honor of being my wife, but it looks like I'm too late."

"NO! You're not too late!"

He held the ring up and took her left hand. Carefully, he slid the ring onto her ring finger and smiled as he watched the setting sun cast its light on the red diamond. "With this, I can finally leave. It's been a wonderful life, and I don't regret any moment of it."

Shana grabbed his body and held it tighter, sobbing into his shirt as he patted he back. "...Shana."

She pulled back and looked at him. He pulled her in and locked his lips with hers for the last time in his life. After he pulled away, he smiled and closed his eyes. "... I'm just sorry I won't see my child grow up."

His body was enveloped by a blue flame as his existence began to disappear. "... Goodbye, Shana." Right before the last of his essence vanished, he whispered his final request. "Don't mourn me."

With a sound like rushing wind, his body dissipated into a thousand glittering balls of light which slowly floated into the heavens. Shana hugged her body, unable to move, barely able to breathe. _It can't be... He's gone! He's really gone! And it was MY fault! _Shana raised her head at the sky and screamed out her pain and grief. In her suffering, she pulled out Nietono no Shana and placed the tip over her heart. "Yuji... I will join you, wherever you are."

Before she could complete the action, the letter he had bestowed upon her blew past her. She dropped her sword and snatched it up. Trembling, she slit the envelope and pulled out the papers inside. Her eyes widened as she recognized Yuji's handwriting. She sat there in the sand for hours, until the fading light made the words on the page nearly unreadable. It was only then that she picked up her sword and returned it to Yogasa. She summoned her wings and flew back to the only place where she could hope to find a shred of comfort waiting for her.

As she landed on the balcony outside of Yuji's window, the contents of his room began to disappear. She laid down on the now nondescript bed and hugged his letter to her chest. _I will leave this town, and I will travel the world. I will live out both of our lives to the best of my ability. _She pulled out some paper and left a note on the bed before jumping out the window.

That was the last time anyone in Misaki City saw the Flame Haze known as Shana.

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>Yeah... That's sad. The only reason I managed to finish writing this story was the presence of the Epilogue, where I create a happy ending of sorts.

**The story will continue and conclude with the next chapter: Confessions of a Flame Haze: _Epilogue - Remembrance_**

****~TabiNoTochuu


	5. Epilogue: Remembrance

**Author's Note: Here it is! The only story of mine that I would count as finished. This epilogue will sum up the events of the previous three chapters and provide an ending.**

**~TabiNoTochuu**

***Bureikushiru is Japanese for "Break Seal"*  
><strong>

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><p>Epilogue - Remembrance<p>

Night had begun to fall on Misaki City. Along the shoreline, a lone girl walked through the flat plains of sand. Though it had been five long years already since she had last set foot in Misaki, the city's atmosphere was definitely familiar to her still. She stood facing the ocean and took a deep breath of the breeze that wafted at her.

Anyone who walked by would clearly see that the girl wasn't a normal human. Her hair was the color of smoldering coals and her eyes were a bright crimson. As the seabourn breeze lifted her long hair around her, sparkling embers floated down around her head. The most resistant ones managed to float to the ground before being extinguished.

Shana looked up at the night sky and the stars that hovered in the air. Five years ago, it was here that she had fought the Denizen with Yuji. The Denizen's power, Bureikushīru, had allowed it to break the seal that kept the Snake of the Festival inside the Reiji Maigo. It was also here that she had fought against the transformed Yuji, and where he had died by her hands.

Even now, the weight of her actions and her guilt at not being able to do anything still weighed heavily on her soul. Despite the fact that Yuji had insisted in the end that it wasn't her fault, she could not bring herself to fully believe him. She sat down on the cold sand and, from her pocket, pulled out a rumpled envelope.

Inside the envelope was a hand-copied letter that she had made all those years ago, when she was handed his final message to her as he laid there, dying in the sand. After reading it through the first time, she immediately copied it out, knowing that the letter would soon disappear, like anything else that was tied to Sakai Yuji.

He had written it before the Snake of the Festival had fully managed to control his body and left it for her, knowing that he would die by her hands. Her tears began to fall as she turned the envelope over and over in her hands. By now, she had read the contents of the letter enough times that she had the entirety of it memorized by heart.

The final words of the letter were what still allowed her to live on and continue with life. Had she not read his letter, Shana would almost certainly have given up on life, since the only one she had truly loved had died by her hands. Now, whenever she closed her eyes, the final words of the letter were etched in burning letters in her mind.

_I will not die, Shana. I will come back to you somehow. I don't know how long it will take, nor how I will manage this task. But, I swear, I will make it happen. So, until then, please, wait for me, and live your life. Only then can I return to you._

_ Farewell, my love. We will meet again._

_ Your Eternal Torch,_

_Sakai Yuji_

Shana smiled, despite the tears that were running freely down her face. She turned her eyes toward the ocean. "I'll wait for you, Yuji. I don't care how long it takes, I will search the entire world over and over until I find you."

She got to her feet and summoned her wings of fire. As she leapt into the air, Shana raised her left hand and reached out towards the sky, as if she intended to catch one of the stars in the night sky. On her hand, a red diamond set in a beautiful red and white gold ring glittered brilliantly as the first rays of the rising sun caught the multi-faceted stone.

"Don't worry, Yuji. I know you'll come back to me someday."

"... I'll be waiting..."

_Fin._


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